2018's Best "cPanel Hosting" Providers

If you're looking for cPanel web hosting, you probably already know that there's no simplicity quite like cPanel simplicity. The sleek control panel forms the perfect bridge between site builders and root access coding. Our team... (read more)

If you're looking for cPanel web hosting, you probably already know that there's no simplicity quite like cPanel simplicity. The sleek control panel forms the perfect bridge between site builders and root access coding. Our team of hosting experts has taken all the best web hosts for a spin and rated them based on user control features, support, pricing, and more. We were pleased to discover that many hosts offer cPanel pre-installed. Check out the providers below for the crème de la crème of cPanel shared hosting:

CPANELRATING

Bluehost: Our Expert's Review

Setup time: 4 minutes

Ryan Frankel (HostingAdvice.com):
Powering over two million websites, Bluehost has trusted experts and simple-to-use features to help get your website running and thriving. From a free domain name to 1-click WordPress installation, they offer everything you want from a cPanel host…Go to full review »

CPANELRATING

SiteGround: Our Expert's Review

Setup time: 6 minutes

Alexandra Leslie (HostingAdvice.com):
SiteGround makes it simple to get started with cPanel hosting, beginning with free setup and migration assistance. Easily manage your unlimited databases, email, and domains from the user-friendly and sought-after control panel, cPanel…Go to full review »

CPANELRATING

iPage: Our Expert's Review

Setup time: 5 minutes

PJ Fancher (HostingAdvice.com):
Offering a free domain, tools to sell online, and easy installations for popular apps and content management platforms, iPage makes it simple to launch a website. They include a free SiteLock security suite, as well as marketing guides and ad credits…Go to full review »

CPANELRATING

InMotion: Our Expert's Review

Setup time: 5 minutes

PJ Fancher (HostingAdvice.com):
If you’re in need of a cPanel host for business, try InMotion. They feature real-time email spam filtering and free SSDs for ultra-fast speeds. The technically inclined can code in many languages, while others will love the 1-click installer…Go to full review »

CPANELRATING

A2 Hosting: Our Expert's Review

Setup time: 4 minutes

Alexandra Leslie (HostingAdvice.com):
There are plenty of excellent cPanel shared hosting providers out there, so what sets A2 apart from the rest? Not only do they offer a ton of features, they've custom-built their packages for enhanced performance, speed, and security — putting your... Go to full review »

CPANELRATING

HostPapa: Our Expert's Review

Setup time: 5 minutes

Laura Bernheim (HostingAdvice.com):
Where HostPapa shines is with their shared hosting, which offers affordable and feature-rich plans geared toward helping website and small business owners alike grow their online presence. HostPapa wants to be more than just a web host, according to CEO Jamie... Go to full review »

CPANELRATING

HostGator: Our Expert's Review

Setup time: 5 minutes

Ryan Frankel (HostingAdvice.com):
With premium support, auto-installs, and the latest version of cPanel control panel, HostGator is easily one of the most user-friendly and cheap cPanel hosting providers. They include a free domain, as well as mobile-friendly emails with spam protection…Go to full review »

CPANELRATING

FatCow: Our Expert's Review

Setup time: 5 minutes

PJ Fancher (HostingAdvice.com):
If you want a basic website with custom user controls, and you’re a fan of farm-filled “punni-ness,” FatCow is your host. You’ll get a free domain, a no-programming-required site builder, tools to sell online, and unlimited domains and emails…Go to full review »

CPANELRATING

Web Hosting Hub: Our Expert's Review

Setup time: 6 minutes

PJ Fancher (HostingAdvice.com):
For SMB-friendly hosting, Web Hosting Hub is a great cPanel hosting provider. They offer 24/7 support, starting with complimentary site transfers. Their plans also include a website builder, 1-click installer for apps, and eCommerce tools…Go to full review »

CPANELRATING

JustHost: Our Expert's Review

Setup time: 4 minutes

Ryan Frankel (HostingAdvice.com):
For reliable, affordable hosting with cPanel, JustHost offers great deals. They include free site builders — requiring zero coding — and a free domain. Their “MOJO Marketplace” features tons of free apps with 1-click installations…Go to full review »

Review Breakdown: cPanel Hosts

Take-aways from our reviews of the best cPanel hosting providers: The top plans include a free cPanel license, 24/7 customer support, and beginner-friendly site builder options. Find the best hosting — with cPanel and/or other intuitive management panels included — with the top web hosts listed in our experts' summary table below.

Looking for something other than cpanel hosting?

If pricing is a primary concern for your hosting needs, we've got you covered. Check out our reviews of the cheapest web hosts, complete with pricing and analysis for their current hosting plans. see all reviews »

Looking for a dedicated server to host your website? Choosing the right host can make all the difference. See what our team discovered when comparing the various dedicated hosting options. see all reviews »

While not a good solution for beginners, virtual private servers offer ideal computing resources and scalability for those who are comfortable managing advanced settings. Check out our reviews of the top VPS options. see all reviews »

If WordPress is your platform of choice, you'll want to read about our experiences installing and maintaining WP with various hosts before deciding on a hosting plan. See which one has our highest recommendation. see all reviews »

Want your own website but don't know where to start? These services enable you to build your own site, without any coding or programming knowledge required. Be on the web in no time — and at a super-low price! see all reviews »

Intro to cPanel Hosts: Hear From the Experts Before Picking a Provider

Okay, what is a "cPanel," really? Let's back up to the basics of control panels for hosting before you buy.

By: Alexandra Leslie, Tech Expert

Updated: May 14, 2018

Oddly enough, when one of my Digital Brands co-workers found out I wanted to give readers more info on “cPanel hosting,” he told me those words were exactly what he searched for in Google when he went to sign up for his first hosting account. Instinctively, I asked him, “Why?” His response echoed the thoughts of tons of hosting shoppers out there: “It just makes things so easy. At the time, I wasn’t clueless when it came to hosting, but by no means was I an expert, and it bridges the gap between a WYSIWYG site builder and root access coding.”

My Googling friend makes a great point: cPanel is essentially the gold standard in web panels. Users love it for its intuitive layout, the number of management features it touts, and the fact that many of the web’s best hosting providers include it for free in their packages. Below, I’ll cover anything and everything there is to know before signing up with a cPanel host.

What is cPanel, Anyway?

In short, cPanel is what’s known as a web panel — a hub for managing elements of your hosting plan. These days, when you sign up for hosting, it’s expected that you’ll be equipped with some sort of graphical user interface (GUI) system that serves as your main dashboard for managing your hosting services. Interfaces, like cPanel, Plesk, WebPanel, and others, allow even non-technically savvy hosting customers to manage their domains, email accounts, servers, and databases.

Why It’s #1 Among the Best Control Panels

Leading the market is one of the most well-known names in server management: cPanel. This intuitive interface is so sleek and accommodating that fairly entry-level users will seek it out as they’re shopping for hosting plans (as in the case of my friend). While it’s technically a premium (not free) panel, the point-and-click software is so popular that many of the web’s best hosting providers include a free cPanel license in their plans.

What a cPanel Login Gets You Access To

With cPanel, users can access and manage their domains, email accounts, and database system files. You can edit and back up important site files and store large amounts of pertinent data in multiple MySQL and PostgreSQL databases. With access to “apps galore,” according to their site, cPanel offers easy installation of your favorite scripts, web applications, content management systems, and eStore features.

Note that included features can vary based on the plan you sign up for with your host. For example, some hosts may prevent customers from SSH-ing into their server(s). Others may limit the number of databases or domains you can have.

Comparing the Best cPanel Hosts

A cPanel host is just a web host that allows you to use cPanel to manage your servers. Rightfully so, we believe some of the best hosting providers include the popular web panel for free for their customers. However, there are other facets of a hosting package that are important to cPanel hosting shoppers — some more important to certain users than others — and I’m here to point those out to you all.

Using cPanel: VPS vs. Shared vs. Dedicated

The cPanel hosting audience is diverse. Members range from first-time users to experienced developers, so their needs and what appeals to them about this control panel varies — another toast to cPanel’s broad appeal!

Shared hosting users love the platform for the 1-click installations, easy access to webmail, and all-around intuitive interface for adding functionality and security measures to their sites. Meanwhile, those using cPanel for VPS or dedicated hosting are typically drawn to the more technical perks, like root/admin and SSH access, logfile reporting, and easy database management. Everyone should love and appreciate cPanel for site backups.

Features We Look For

Now that I’ve talked your ear off about all that cPanel can do, let’s look at what features we specifically search for as we evaluate the best cPanel hosts:

Free cPanel license

1-click app installs for WordPress, Magento, Joomla, PrestaShop, etc.

Free site builder tools

Free advertising/PPC credits

Unlimited resources (domains, emails, site traffic, storage)

That’s not to say that a host that doesn’t throw $250-worth of search engine marketing credits at you for signing up isn’t a solid, reputable option for web hosting with cPanel. These are just the features that, based on our experience, the majority of cPanel hosting customers are looking for or will benefit from.

Comparing cPanel Host Prices

As you’re browsing our cPanel reviews, surely price is an influential factor on your mind. A cPanel license for a VPS will cost you about 20 bucks a month, while a dedicated server cPanel account goes for about a $45 monthly rate. Note that I skipped over shared, because these accounts are held by the web host. A provider will either charge their cPanel customers a license fee at a reduced rate or, more commonly, include the cPanel license as a free perk.

Cheap cPanel Hosting

The easiest way to get cheap cPanel hosting is to opt for a host that includes a free license in their hosting plan. With some of the top-rated, most affordable hosts we’ve reviewed, you can get cPanel for free by simply paying the $2 to $5 a month for hosting. It doesn’t get much cheaper than that, folks.

Free cPanel Hosting

Here’s the deal: You can get cPanel for free with super cheap hosting, or you can get hosting that’s free (and pretty shoddy, honestly) and pay for a cPanel license. Getting free hosting and free cPanel is not on the table. Dealer’s choice: $20 a month for a cPanel license and a poorly-performing-but-free VPS, or $2 to $25 a month for exceptional hosting with a free cPanel account?

Looking for a cPanel Alternative?

Not loving the idea of cPanel for whatever reason? There are other useful panels on the market, but keep in mind that none are as popular and intuitive as cPanel. Some I’ve already mentioned, like Plesk and WebPanel, fall into the premium panel category. If you want an open-source (free) cPanel alternative, WebMin, ISPmanager, and ISPConfig are some of our favorite options.

All in all, you’ll find some fabulous hosting providers that each tout easy-to-use hosting management panels — like iPage, SiteGround, and Bluehost — leading the market with cPanel, free domains, 1-click installations, and other sought-after features. It’s these hosts’ attention to the wants and needs of hosting shoppers that make them attractive to folks like my friend, the Googler — and it’s that same spot-on service offering that brings them to the top of our reviews

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